Fastening device



June 30, 1942. F. KOHNLE FASTENING DEVICE Filed Jan. 29 1940 I 9 a 1| O y w INVENTOR.

BY I Q WM ATToRNEB Patented June 30, 1942 STTES T FFICE FASTENING DEVICE Application January 29, 1940, Serial No. 316,155

1 Claim.

This invention relates to mechanisms for attaching parts or units together and is particularly directed to a device for use in fastening units or parts together which units or parts are adapted to be easily detached or disassembled in normal usage. In fastening together units of this character the usual practice is to use some extraneous and completely removable part such as a nut or a screw. The difiiculty with this type of fastening means is that it is very often misplaced or lost, requires special attaching tools and, a certain amount of manipulation in order to get the fastening parts in position for attachment.

It is the broad object of the present inventor to provide an attaching device which is carried by the part or unit to be attached or the part to which the attaching is done as a permanent part, that is, which is not removable. Accordingly, the device has the distinct advantage that the fastening elements are always available.

Furthermore, it has been the object of the present inventor to provide a device of this character which includes means for piloting the fastening device into position for the act of attachment and which is conveniently manipulated by hand without the use of tools for attachment or detachment.

Other objects and certain advantages will be more fully apparent from the description of the drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a unit or piece of mechanism carrying the device of the invention and adapted to be attached by means of it.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2, Figure 1 showing the attaching device in position as carried by the unit after detachment.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken similar to Figure 2 showing the attaching device in position fastening the unit in its normal position.

Referring to the drawing, the device concerned in this invention is generally indicated at 5. For the purpose of illustration, it is shown in use on a price marking machine. More specifically it forms a part of an inking unit generally shown at 6 and is adapted to hold the inking unit in position disposing its ribbon I over a. platen or pad 8. Extending from the frame supporting the pad 8, is a supporting ledge 9. The plate element I0, which carries part of the supporting means for the ribbon 1, includes a horizontal flange or car ll adapted to rest upon the supporting ledge 9 and to be attached thereto. A stud I2 is fixed to the supporting ledge 9 as an integral part thereof.

This stud extends up- 55 wardly and is adapted to traverse the horizontal portion H into engagement with the attaching device 5.

The horizontal flange ll includes an aperture [3 and a countersunk marginal portion I4 surrounding the aperture. The fastening device includes a tubular retainer l5 fixed upon the horizontal portion or car ll of the ribbon bracket. Attachment of the sleeve to the ear is permanent and is accomplished by means of a sleeve portion I6 traversing the opening l3 and flanged over as at IT within the countersunk portion of the opening. Thus the bottom surface of the supporting flange II is perfectly fiat and lies flush with the top of the ledge 9.

A locking nut l8 of extended form is disposed in the bore IQ of the tubular retainer. The upper end of the nut is knurled as at 20 to provide a conveniently manipulated head for the nut The nut includes a screw threaded bore 2| extending axially into its lower end which screw threaded bore is adapted to be engaged by the stud l2.

A cross pin 22 in the tubular retainer extends tangentially across the bore of the tubular element within an annular groove 23 in the nut. The groove is of sufiicient length axially of the nut to permit movement of the nut along the bore of the retainer in the fastening and unfastening operation while the pin prevents displacement. A clamping washer 24 is disposed between the base of the nut and the base of the bore of the tubular retainer.

That portion of the bore of the retainer indicated at 25 is large enough to permit free insertion of the screw and the same is true of the clamping washer. The mouth of the screw threaded bore and the nut is flared as indicated at 26. The screw threaded bore 2| extends far enough into the nut so that the screw will not engage the bottom of the bore.

Thus, the retaining element prevents withdrawal of the nut and yet permits free rotative movement and appropriate longitudinal or axial movement. The nut provides a head of sufiicient size to permit a good grip and the nut therefore may be manually screwed tightly into position. Since the bore entering the base of the retainer provides for free entrance of the screw, the device is easily piloted into position for screw threaded attachment.

Having described my invention, I claim:

A fastening device for attaching two elements together, said device comprising a screw threaded stud extending from and fixed to one element to be attached, a tubular retaining element fixed on element to be attached when held against the other element to be attached, the shoulder of said countersunk portion lying against the underside of the shoulder of the tubular retaining element, a thrust washer lying against the upper side of the shoulder, a nut rotatably mounted within the tubular retaining element and engaged on the screw threaded stud and against the washer, and means for maintaining said nut against axial dis- 10 placement from the tubular retaining element.

FREDERICK KOHNLE. 

